The embodiments described herein relate generally to gantry systems, and more particularly, to gantry systems including a two-ring gantry rotatably supported by a plurality of support wheels.
Computed tomography (CT) imaging systems typically include a rotatable gantry configured to capture images of object(s) channeled therethrough. In at least some known CT systems, the gantries are rotatably supported within a frame by one or more slew bearings. The slew bearing is commonly installed on one side (e.g., a front side or a back side) of the gantry, such that the gantry is cantilevered off of the bearing. This cantilever support increases a required stiffness of a bearing interface of the slew bearing and increases a complexity of the gantry system. In particular, replacement, repair, and serviceability of these gantry systems, particularly the slew bearings, may be very difficult. Moreover, the use of slew bearings may impose an upper limit on the rotational speed of the gantry, as slew bearings are suited for low-speed applications.
One attempt to overcome these difficulties includes the development and installation of customized slew bearings for a particular gantry system. However, the cost of customized bearings is high, and customized bearings often require additional and/or specialized maintenance thereof.